Bears released defensive tackle Ray McDonald after his arrest Monday on a domestic violence charge.

Ray McDonald’s second chance in the NFL lasted only 62 days before he landed in police custody again Monday. His second arrest in the last nine months prompted the Bears’ new regime to release him Monday afternoon. Now they're left to contend with the fallout from their unreciprocated trust in McDonald’s vow to end his legal troubles.

McDonald was arrested on charges of misdemeanor domestic violence and child endangerment, the Santa Clara, Calif., police department said. It’s the second time since Aug. 31 that he has been arrested as a result of women claiming he assaulted them.

According to police, McDonald, a defensive end, was arrested Monday after officers learned “he physically assaulted the victim while she was holding a baby.” Police responded to a disturbance at McDonald’s residence at 3:48 a.m., but McDonald had left the scene.

He was located at a house owned by former 49ers teammate Justin Smith, and he was arrested there, police and property records show.

“We believe in second chances, but when we signed Ray we were very clear what our expectations were if he was to remain a Bear,” general manager Ryan Pace said in a statement. “He was not able to meet the standard and the decision was made to release him.”

Bears Chairman George McCaskey initially vetoed Pace’s request to sign McDonald in March because of what he perceived to be a pattern of behavioral problems.

However, McCaskey changed his mind after McDonald flew to Chicago and met with him, and after he spoke to McDonald’s parents by telephone. The Bears signed McDonald on March 24 to a one-year, $1.5 million contract that included no guaranteed money.

“I told him that my assessment was 'bad decision-making,' allowing himself to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or not withdrawing from a situation at the appropriate time,” McCaskey said. “And I told him, if he's to remain a Bear, that needs to improve. And he pledged to me that it would.”

But Monday’s arrest only added another bullet point to McDonald’s list of legal troubles.

McDonald, 30, was available to the Bears as a free agent in March because the 49ers released him Dec. 17, with general manager Trent Baalke citing a “pattern of poor decision-making.”

He was arrested Aug. 31 on suspicion of felony domestic violence but was not charged.

In December, a woman accused him of sexual assault, and San Jose police have yet to charge him or clear him. McDonald has sued that woman for defamation, and she countered with a civil suit against him. McDonald still is subject to disciplinary action by the NFL on the matter.

Pace and the rest of the organization will feel the sting for a while after defensive end Ray McDonald, dumped in December by the ...

It's difficult to imagine Bears general manager Ryan Pace walking into Chairman George McCaskey's office again any time soon and sticking his neck out for a player.

Pace and the rest of the organization will feel the sting for a while after defensive end Ray McDonald, dumped in December by the ...

(Brad Biggs)

In the wake of those incidents, new Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio vouched for McDonald’s character when the Bears debated signing him. Fangio was McDonald’s defensive coordinator for the last four seasons with the 49ers and felt comfortable with McDonald based on a relationship built on daily interactions.

“The headlines, I think, looked worse than what actually happened, but they happened,” Fangio said April 28. “He made a mistake putting himself in those positions for that to happen. But ultimately he was not charged with anything, so we felt good about it here.”

In addition to Fangio’s character reference, Pace said he felt comfortable signing McDonald because the contract was “a one-year, ‘prove-it deal,’” he said. “So we protected ourselves.”

The Bears were willing to risk signing McDonald largely because his ability as a defensive end could significantly help their new 3-4 front. His familiarity with Fangio’s scheme was an asset. Fangio lauded him as a tough, complete player in defending the run and pass. From a football perspective, his departure creates a substantial void.

But McDonald won’t play a down in a Bears uniform, leaving those who vouched for him to contemplate their lost gamble.